The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising
by TheEnigmaticSoul
Summary: Humans never existed. Not on this world; a world run and ruled by three great Pokemon kingdoms. However, these Pokemon were born from and into Chaos. And into Chaos they must always return. It will begin with a murderous traitor and an outcast. ***SYOC***
1. Prelude

_**The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising**_

 **Prelude:**

 _The world began in light,_

 _It will end in darkness._

 _The world began with water_

 _It will end with fire._

 _The world was first split into kingdoms_

 _Those kingdoms will crumble._

 _The crumbling starts._

 _The world will fall apart._

 _Unless it can be stopped._

…

 _Once upon a time…_ there were three great kingdoms.

Before the kingdoms was the Beginning, and the beginning was chaos. The Pokémon of the humanless world didn't have the sentience to organize themselves, and in this wild, unclaimed land was one law, the law of instinct. Eat or Be Eaten, Survive or Die. The Pokémon of this world were born with only one thought, and they lived with only one thought; survive.

The chaos continued to ravage the world and the Pokémon until a spirit came. This had been the same spirit that had first formed the waters of this brave new world. He was displeased with the Pokémon's wild nature, so he gave them the gift of intelligence. It spread through their eyes in an instant.

They soon formed their own communities and tribes, and worked together to form new things. But the world was still disjointed and irrational, and all the communities were split with no form of organization or control. The laws had expanded, but the overarching law still applied; Eat or Be Eaten, Survive of Die.

The chaos, with time, would be subdued and their land, for a brief time, was at peace.

But that chaos would come again and again and threaten to make the world crumble. The first chaos after the gift of intelligence came in the form of a great war, a war that ravaged the newly peaceful land. A war between all Pokémon; not even a newly hatched Pokémon was free from the terror that ravaged that ancient land.

There were three sides to the terrible and ancient war, the first side was led by the mighty Luxray and his tribes. The second side was led by the burning Pyroar, and the last led by the swift Liepard. They fought to a standstill, the rivers flowing with blood spilled in the old and deadly battle.

Finally, after a decade of strife, they were stopped. It was then that the spirit returned once more with a new gift; the gift of organization. He calmed the storm of battle and helped the three generals find peace.

They came together and split the land into three sections. The snowy and mountainous region to the far north came under the rule of the Pyroar, and was named Yogan. The region to the south west, filled with deserts, plains, and beaches, was taken by the Liepard, and named Kurai. Finally, the forest-filled region of the south east was taken by the Luxray, and named Denkou. There was a new law now, the law had changed from Survive to Live.

The spirit had split up these kingdoms himself, leaving these specific instructions written on scrolls in gold ink. These scrolls were put inside a shrine, which was guarded by six masters.

These six masters were the founders of the six ancient arts of battle.

The first art was called Kiba Moretsuna, the art of battling with fangs. This master's teeth were sharp, deadly, and fast. He could kill opponents without them ever even feeling his attacks. He was called the "Master of Subtlety", for his ability to kill his opponents without them ever even sensing his presence.

The second art was called Tsume Satsugai, the art of exposing the opponent's weak points and using them to kill and seriously main the opponent, with emphasis on claws as the weapons. This master could find every weak point in his opponent's defense and use those weak spots to kill and maim quickly and efficiently. This master was known as the "Master of Murder", for his ability to kill.

The third was known as Chisoku Ikusei, or the art of refining the body into a temple of speed, agility, and flexibility. This master could use his swift, graceful movements to avoid nearly any attack, and he used his opponent's own power against them. This master earned the nickname "Master of Invincibility" for a legend states that he was never hurt in battle.

The fourth art was called Bokushingu, the art of strength and brute force using limbs. This master could take any attack without dying and kill his opponent with pure power. The master was often known as the "Master of Death", for he would rise even after taking blows that would kill any normal Pokémon.

The fifth art was Katana Shura, the art of fighting with weapons. This master could take any object and turn it into a weapon with deadly force, especially blades. These masters were also experts at using their own moves and wielding them like weapons. The first master of this at was called the "Master of Swords" for his ability with blades.

The sixth art was known as Chikara Suuchuu, the art of focusing and channeling energy. This master had the ability to release and store massive amounts of natural energy in such a way that his opponents were sometimes completely dissolved after an attack. He was called the "Master of Focus" because he never lost concentration.

These masters ruled peacefully and had several apprentices, passing on their title of "Master" to their most promising apprentice. The apprentices were not limited to one art, and several became experts in many but masters of none, or experts in some and a master of one, or a jack of all arts and a master of none.

This was when another chaos started. This chaos was the dissent between the masters. Nobody knows exactly why the split happened, but it led it a terrible and bloody six-way war between the experts and masters of a different art. It is said that the master of Chikara Suuchuu wrote down his account on the split, but his record has never been found.

Eventually the masters halted their foolish war and assigned several experts to guard the shrine that they once did. The experts had to have expert status in three or more arts in order to gain the worthy title, and the experts trained more experts and passed down their knowledge. The experts they trained would take over in the guarding of the shrine.

As for the masters, they scattered themselves to the corners of the world and trained other Pokémon in their art, but never again would all six masters be in the same area, in fear of chaos crumbling down once more. The Pokémon they trained came to be known as ninjas, and the ninjas that guarded the shrine were the most feared of all.

After this last big chaos, no more happened. Smaller wars and skirmishes broke out, but the chaos subsided for hundreds of years.

Until now.

The chaos is returning, and the crumbling will begin soon. Unless it can be stopped, the world of the Pokémon will fall to war and destruction.

It will begin with a traitor and murder, and an outcast.

…

 **TheEnigmaticSoul presents…**

 ** _The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising_**

 **…**

 **NOTE:  
Welcome to the cream of the crop of my new stories. This is my own personal world and is not purposefully taken from anyone, and any similarities to other stories is purely coincidental unless otherwise stated by me. I do not own Pokémon, either.**

 **This story will contain much more gore, language, and sexual themes than my other stories, so it may be rated M eventually. My other stories will also start to be updated less, as this is the story I REALLY want to develop and focus on! I've been wanting to do a story in this style, where Pokémon can be killed in a single hit, for a long time, and finally it's here. I may also write some spin-offs and/or sequels depending on how inspired I get…**

 **That being said…I am going to take a much more reader-inspired take on this fic, and I will need all of your help to decide how this story plays out in the end. So, without further ado, please create your own OC! If you create it now, there is a good chance that your OC will become a reoccurring character, or possibly a main character! I will constantly accept oc's until further notice.**

 **Check my profile for the OC form! You must PM the form if you are a member, and if you are a guest you may review it, but I will tweak your character however I see fit without consulting you. Sorry.**

 **Also, here is a question for you all to ponder and comment upon. I would love to get everyone's opinion on this, and that goes for you Guests lurking here too! Thank you to everyone for reading, and a cookie for everyone who reviews! Love you all!**

 **Which art sounds the most awesome to you and why?**


	2. One: Traitor, Murderer, Outcast

_**The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising**_

 **One: Traitor, Murderer, Outcast**

 _Why?_

 _Why did this come upon me?_

 _My life up until now…has been so easy. So easy. Maybe that's why. Peace cannot last for long, history has shown. Perfect peace must always be followed by chaos. The Great Spirit cannot stop everything bad…and it cannot fix everything bad either._

 _No, this is something providence will not fix._

 _But who will? Me?_

 _I can fight…I'm the only one in my family who can…but I'm not even fully evolved._

 _But mother…father…Nanny…who else will avenge them?_

 _It has to be me. It_ will _be me. I will take my revenge. I will kill every Pokémon who hurt my family! DAMN THOSE BASTARDS! I WILL WIN!_

 _I swear on the Great Spirit!_

* * *

"You are not ready…and you are far too young." A large, tiger-striped orange dog with a cream mane and tail said patiently at the fiery blue and black lion-like Pokémon. The electric lion's paws crackled, electricity automatically sparked by his burning rage.

"How could you?! You yourself have told me that I am the brightest student you've ever had! I've trained with you for over a decade! I am ready to be a Master!" The Luxio growled. Animosity radiated from his unusual silver gaze. The Arcanine glared down at him with his dark blue eyes.

 _"This_ is why. Your anger controls you, you are far too hasty to fight. A true master must be patient, calm, always waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. If you want to be a Master, first become an Expert in Chikara Suuchuu, it is the only way to control your anger. I refuse to give you the title of Master until you do so." The great dog turned his back with a flourish of his cream tail.

The Luxio seethed with rage. His anger seemed to make his world blurry. With a massive leap, his fangs crackled with electricity. Then he began to spin as he aimed himself down at the Arcanine.

"Eat my spinning fangs!" The Luxio growled. The Arcanine's head turned, and he seemed to disappear with speed.

The Luxio, unable to pull out of his spin in time, crashed to the ground. A flurry of fur sped over his head as he rose, and suddenly he had a clean, charred cut down the middle of his back. The Arcanine stood a few yards to his side, licking charred flesh from his fangs.

"You are far too angry. If you continue down this path…" The Arcanine turned to face him, raising his voice to a shout, "YOU WILL NEVER MASTER KIBA MORETSUNA!" The Arcanine dashed away, almost too fast for the eyes to follow. He burst through the doors of the large shack without breaking his stride, and was out of sight in a matter of moments.

John shook with rage and shock.

"MASTER!" He yowled, knowing his cries were futile. "DAMN YOU! I WILL BE A MASTER!"

Unable to contain himself, he flew at a wooden wall, and with two clean slashes from his fangs, broke a large hole in the side of the shack.

"Damn! SHIT!" The Luxio looked at the dust and growled meaningless curses.

"John?" A sharp female voice called. The Luxio knew by her voice who she was.

"Tiki." He didn't sound angry anymore. The very presence of the Elektrike was enough to calm him.

"What did you do? Why did Master Stryker run from the dojo at max speed? And why the hell is there a hole in the wall? AND WATCH YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!" She said this all without a breath. John smirked at her.

"Watch your own language."

"Don't tell me what to do, that's my job. Well, my job to tell you what to do. Though your parents would disagree. To them I'm _your_ slave."

"What did you come here for?" John sighed, the remnants of his frustration still clinging to the edges of his mind. The Elektrike sighed.

"Your parents want you. You know how it is. The King and Queen can't be kept waiting. Let's go. You can tell them all about this little incident."

"Shit."

"That's what you get for driving away _the_ Master of Kiba Moretsuna. And watch your arrogant little mouth. Now _come on!"_ The Elektrike turned abruptly and stomped out of the dojo. John reluctantly trailed behind, his star-shaped tail dragging on the ground. _Damn._

It wasn't a piece of cake to be the heir to the throne of Denkou, ruled by the royal Luxray family.

The duo turned directly left, where, no more than one-hundred yards away, was a gigantic castle built of stone, steel, and brick. As the two walked the dirt path back, John couldn't help but reflect on the Arcanine's words. _An Expert at Chikara Suuchuu…the art of focus. I certainly lose my focus when I get angry…but I can use that anger! My anger makes me strong! Master is wrong! That bastard!_

The anger rose back up in him and electricity crackled along his spine.

"Calm yourself." Tiki said with a sharp look at the Luxio.

"But he's _wrong!_ " John hissed, stopping a ways away from the castle gates.

"Okay, fine. Tell me what went wrong before we get to your parents."

"I requested that he put me through the Master's Test. I've been training with him since I was still a Shinx…I'm already an Expert! I'm one of the youngest Experts in Kiba Moretsuna in history! He wouldn't let me take the Master trials…that stuck up son of a—"

"This had to do with your anger issues, didn't it?" The Elektrike interrupted him before he could finish his curse. The Luxio's claws shot out and he kneaded the ground.

"Yes." He finally answered.

"He's right. Your anger is way too out of control. What did he recommend?"

"What!? You're siding with _him?_ Against _me?_ That _bastard_ told me to become an Expert in Chikara Suuchuu before I even contacted him again! And he gave me this scratch!" The Luxio flicked his tail at his back and glared at Tiki, who didn't flinch from his intimidating gaze.

"Don't raise your voice with me! And yes, he is right! You need focus and control over your emotions. Your parents must know an Expert or Master in Chikara Suuchuu, have them summon one, for the Spirit's sake."

"You _bitch!_ You're both _wrong!"_ John screeched. The Elektrike glared up at him, appearing ten time more aggressive. Her fur crackled, and before John could move she struck him with a powerful blast of electricity. John's body was resistant to the energy, but his body still seized with pain. He cried out, and she stopped. An acrid smell tinted the air.

"Don't you _ever, EVER_ call me that again! You know better! And you know that the Arcanine is right! Now let's go!" Tiki stomped away from the pained Luxio without even bothering to check if he followed, which he did, limping and gritting his teeth.

 _Stupid Nanny…she's wrong too._

They reached the castle gates, which were guarded by a Minun and Plusle. Holding spears and looking grim, the two rabbit-like Pokémon nodded and stepped back, allowing Tiki to shove open the heavy wooden doors. She didn't bother to hold them open for the young Prince, and the doors slammed into his nose.

His nerves fried, his back burning, and his nose aching, the Luxio shoved open the door with his paws and stalked inside, his fur on end. At the end of a majestic hall covered in a Mareep-wool red carpet was a large room, decorated elaborately with paintings by famous Smeargle and flashy chandeliers.

Gold decorations lined the entire room, making it look garish and gaudy, in John's opinion. At the very end of the room in an indent in the wall sat two mighty Luxray on throne of electric blue cushions with silver backing, a relatively simple design compared to the rest of the room. The largest Luxray, a male with silver eyes, had a golden crown studded with sapphires while the queen wore a silver tiara with a huge ruby embedded in the front. Her eyes were a normal gold. They held themselves like royalty, with their noses pointed in the air and their tails majestically curved over their backs.

The presence of their son caused no smiles or warm looks to spread over their feline faces. In fact, the male Luxray's face hardened for a brief second at the face of his son.

"Son, it is time for you to sleep." The Luxray said in an authoritative voice. Tiki stood beside John, in a total change from her previous attitude. It was strictly forbidden for her to speak to the King and Queen unless she was granted permission, and despite Tiki's bold personality, she never spoke in front of them unless they specifically told her to.

"Yeah, what's new, _Dad."_ John mumbled, his ears flattening on his head. The Luxray snarled and looked down at him with pure contempt. Tiki glanced at the Luxio from the corner of her eyes, but remained silent.

" _Your Majesty."_ The Luxray corrected, his tail abandoning its royal curve to lash back and forth in frustration.

"Gosh, _Dad,_ I'm not king yet." John replied. The Luxray hissed and leapt from his throne. He swiped the insurgent across the face with a sheathed paw. The Luxio stumbled to the side with the force, but at this point his father's blows barely hurt him. He'd undergone far too much training for that. Still, he pretended to wince in pain to appease his father's rage. Tiki's face flashed with anger at the king, but she remained still.

The Luxray smirked in satisfaction and climbed back onto his throne, quickly regaining his regal pose and his royal frown.

"Good job, my king. That boy should learn his manners." The female Luxray smiled and rubbed her tail up the king's back. The Luxray rubbed her muzzle affectionately, causing her to giggle slightly. The Elektrike rolled her eyes.

"Get a room!" John muttered too low for his father to hear.

"Get to sleep, _Prince_ John. And Nanny, you're dismissed." The King said. "We're going to bed."

John's mother began to purr.

Then the doors burst opened, and in ran the King's general and head Parliament member, Thundy the Jolteon, followed by the Minun and Plusle guards. The Jolteon's eyes were an unusual amber color, and most females found him unusually attractive to him due to his gorgeous eyes.

"My Lord!" The Jolteon cried, running to the foot of the throne and bowing his head. His flanks heaved for breath.

"General, what's wrong?" The King Leapt from his throne and John quickly retreated to the side of the room, Tiki close by his side.

"I…was patrolling the ground before I retire, like always. Then…one of my own guards attacked me! I managed to escape but a whole group of them were following me…I'm afraid…I'm afraid we have an uprising!" The Jolteon cried.

"Guards, block the door and stay here. John, Amelia, Thundy, and the peasant come with me to the safe room. We'll bring any other guards we find. Let's go!" The King commanded. The Jolteon was covered in scratches, including a serious looking gash down his right side. He nodded, and the five set off for the center of the large stone castle as the Minun and Plusle locked the heavy doors with a huge log.

Soon they reached another set of doors with guards, these guards were a Tauros and a Boufallant. The Tauros exchanged a glance with Thundy and pushed open the iron doors.

"You go inside, my liege. I will fight to the bitter end for you." The Jolteon turned and faced the long hallway with determination in his burning amber eyes.

"No, General. Come in with us, you are important to our kingdom as well. Besides…when they break in…we'll need your expertise." The Luxray commanded.

"I can fight!" John growled.

"John…" Tiki warned.

"Shut up, prince! Nanny, who gave you permission to speak!?" The King hissed, then quickly regained his composure. Tiki bowed her head.

"Very well, my liege. If you command it." Thundy replied.

The five entered the room.

They sat in a small circle, panting heavily. Torches with everlasting flames lit the cold steel room, illuminating their faces. The Jolteon turned towards the doors, his face hidden.

"You know, King. I really must thank you." He said.

"You're welcome. But may I ask for what?" The Luxray's face glinted with curiosity. The Jolteon smirked, though his face was still not visible to the other three in the room. _The time has finally come…_

"For appointing me as your General and head parliament member…"

"Oh, well—"

"I WASN'T FINISHED!" The Jolteon hissed. The Luxray was so taken aback by his counselor's tone that he said nothing.

"I do all the work. I run the army, lead the parliament, and basically rule the country. I do _your_ dirty work, I take care of _your_ people, I'm basically the ruler…but I get nothing. No praise from you, no recognition from the disgusting, dirty, pathetic peasants of this god-forsaken country. I am _fucking_ sick of it, and I'm sick of you, too." The Jolteon turned, and the doors flew open, revealing the Plusle, Minun, Boufallant, and Tauros blocking the exit with satisfied smirks.

"Thundy…you can have whatever you want! Money…the throne…anything! Kill the Prince and his nanny! Just leave me…and my mate…alive!" The King cowered back and shoved John in the Jolteon's way at the same time. Tiki leapt in front of the prince with a snarl. John didn't back down in fright, instead he glared down Thundy with his silver gaze.

"I'll fight you!" The Luxio growled. But before he could ready himself, the Jolteon leaped forward and slapped the Luxio across the side with one kick, and Tiki with another kick. The Luxio's flank exploded with pain from the kick, and he skidded across the floor on his side, Tiki flying to the opposite side of the room.

"Kill him and spare us, please." The King begged. The Queen trembled at his side.

"You…coward…" John breathed.

"Heh…the prince is right…you are a coward." The Jolteon stood over the cowering lions with a smirk. "You remind me of my father."

"Please…" The King begged once more, his silver eyes filled with fear.

"I _hated_ my father."

Thundy leaped forward and grabbed the lion around the jugular. He squeezed hard with his fangs, and the king's eyes widened in pain. The Queen backed up in panic as the Jolteon crunched down. The throat burst in an explosion of blood, and the lion fell to the ground, his legs flailing as he fought for breath. His throes grew weaker and finally stopped completely. His head fell into the pool of his own blood, and his eyes dimmed.

"Bastard. Don't you see? If you're alive…I will never be the true ruler." Thundy laughed over the broken body and grabbed the king's crown in his bloody teeth. He flipped it into the air and caught it on his head. The crown slipped down his skull, being a size too big for him.

The Jolteon growled and shook the crown off.

"I'll be getting a new one of those right after I'm coronated. The coward was always a fat-ass." He then kicked the bleeding body of the king away and licked his crimson-stained lips. He turned to the Queen.

"Hey, baby." He smirked, swaggering up to the Queen. He rubbed his head against her cheek, smearing the king's blood on the blue fur of her cheek. "Wanna be my queen?"

The female Luxray, seizing the opportunity, purred and rubbed his cheek back.

"Mother! Traitor!" John growled. He shoved himself up on one leg, forcing his body to comply.

"Of course, you were always much more powerful than that stupid king." The female smiled, ignoring her son's insults.

"Heh…" The Jolteon's expression turned from one of lust to one of anger and with a flick of his wrist, he made a clean cut across her throat.

She fell to the ground, and he put a paw on her face and struck a pose, like some sadistic predator.

"You must die too. The entire royal family must die, or I will never be the true king." Thundy leaned down and licked her cheek. "Though I regret the death of a girl like you."

The Luxray went still, her face still filled with shock. Thundy turned towards John and licked his blood-stained lips.

"You're next, _prince!"_

"You…bastard!" This cry came not from John, but from Tiki. The Elektrike jumped between the Jolteon and John, her fur crackling.

"Heh, you little bitch." Thundy crouched and sprang forward, faster than the eye could follow. Elektrike let loose a blast of electricity, but the Jolteon leapt to the side and dodged it. Then he struck, his fangs leaving a clean cut across Tiki's side.

The Elektrike fell.

"Tiki, no!" John growled. Rage fueled his anger and he forced himself to stand, but he could barely move. The combined damage of the slice on his back, the blast from Tiki, and the kick from Thundy had rendered his body nearly useless.

Thundy turned and unsheathed his claws. He dashed again and sliced through the ligaments on Tiki's ankle.

The Elektrike gave out a horrible shriek and fell completely to the ground, blood spraying from the cut across her ankle. She wouldn't be able to stand if she wanted to, her entire leg rendered useless from such a painful blow.

The Jolteon stood over her and laughed like a maniac.

"Your precious prince is next." He promised.

"John…run!" Tiki screamed. She used her other leg to shove herself up and latch her jaws around Thundy's neck.

Suddenly it seemed that John had the strength of ten Pokémon.

 _I'm…I'm…going to evolve!_ The Luxio realized. He crouched as unknown energy surged up in his gut.

"Guards! Kill the prince!" Thundy howled.

 _I must use this energy…but stop the evolution! Once I evolve…I'll be useless again! I must fight for my life, and for Tiki…_

All four Pokémon charged, the Boufallant and Tauros leading the pack with glowing horns.

"I'll kill each and every one of you bastards!" John howled, springing into the air. He began to spin, his fangs crackling with electric pulses of energy. He careened towards the Tauros. His fangs hit the Tauros's forehead with the force of his spin, then were withdrawn from the bull's face as he continued to spin past the him.

He landed at the bull's back, energy still surging through him. For a moment the bull simply paused, as if unaffected by John's blow. Then a bloody horizontal line cracked across his forehead followed by a pulse of electricity that spread through the bull's entire body. The Tauros collapsed, his tongue lolling in his mouth and his eyes staring into space.

The Boufallant screamed in anger and turned, bearing down on John once more. The Minun and Plusle came at his front, brandishing spears.

"You killed Charger! Bastard!" The Boufallant screeched as he ran.

 _The solution to this is simple._ John smirked, and with a powerful jump he soared over the heads of the Plusle and Minun.

The Boufallant's eyes widened, but he was unable to stop himself from running straight into the Plusle and Minun, impaling himself on their spears and collapsing on top of them, his furious snarl still on his face.

John stood before the Jolteon, energy still surging through him.

He was too late.

Tiki lay on the ground with her throat slashed open, still as ice. Thundy smirked, though a hint of pain also glinted in his eyes. A small creek of blood dripped from the four puncture wounds Tiki had made on his neck.

"I win. Now I kill you!" The Jolteon leaped, but John snarled and dodged past him. He skidded to a halt and turned, only to find Thundy and the blood-soaked Plusle and Minun glaring at him.

 _I…can't…I have to live for Tiki._ John realized, feeling oddly numb. The evolution energy seemed to saturate his cells, and it was all he could do to hold his evolution at bay. He let out a powerful discharge of electricity to get rid of some of the excess energy. The electricity didn't seem to effect the Jolteon in the slightest, instead coursing along the spikes in his fur, but the Minun and Plusle convulsed from the shock.

"You're dead, _orphan!"_ Thundy sprang alone, his cohorts down for the moment from the blast. Ignoring his every instinct to stand and face the psychotic Jolteon, John turned and ran through the door and down the carpet-lined halls.

 _I'm like my father…I'm a coward…I'm such a goddamn coward…_ Guilt surged through him, but the memory of Tiki's last words drove him on. He reached the front doors and quickly shoved the log from the lock with strength he didn't know he had. More energy seized through him and he knew he wouldn't be able to restrain his evolution much longer.

 _I have to escape first…I can't escape with a new body…_

John ran.

His legs flew across the ground, and he begged that the wounds Thundy received from Tiki would prevent him from catching up. Under normal circumstances, a Jolteon could easily out-speed a Luxio.

But John was running for his life, and Tiki's death-throes had taken their toll on the traitor. The Jolteon found his breathing heavy, and as he ran blood began to leak once more from the tooth marks left by the cursed Elektrike. When he reached the front doors he fell, panting heavily. He could only watch as the Luxio ran from the castle, his black and blue fur giving off sparks.

 _I know evolution when I see it…that Luxio is about to evolve…and he's battle trained…that makes things difficult. But I will catch him! I will be the true king!_

John ran faster than he had ever run in his life, never once looking back, He ran for miles and miles, and finally he collapsed, unable to continue. He couldn't feel his limb's exhaustion through his evolution energy, and he finally gave up the fight and the electricity surrounded him, casting s blinding white light onto the surrounding greenery. He felt his limbs grown longer and thicker, hair sprout from the back of his head, and his body expand. The sudden changes hurt, but in the way pulling a loose tooth hurts, the satisfying, finishing kind of hurt.

Finally his changes stopped, and true, deep, agony flooded through his nerves, limbs, and back. The pain overtook him and he fell completely unconscious.

* * *

 **NOTE:**

 **Welcome to the end of the first chapter of _Uprising!_ Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Hopefully this chapter gives you more of an idea of the world of this series, so if you haven't already submitted an OC, then you can find the form on my profile. Give me your very own characters, and make them amazing and unique!**

 **Thanks to** ** _snowwolf12132_** **for the review, you get a cookie!**

 **Thank you _snowwolf12132, W. R. Winters,_ and _BarretM107_ for following! Make sure to check these guys/gals out!**

 **Another thanks to _W. R. Winters_ for favoriting!**


	3. Two: An Oath to Live By

**_The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising_**

 **Two: An Oath to Live By**

 _The Shinx jumped at the straw-stuffed dummy and bit down hard, ripping off one of the arms. He landed and turned, dropping the ripped-off arm at the huge tiger dog's feet. The Arcanine looked down at his apprentice._

 _"Hmph. You have so, so much to learn." He sniffed._

 _"But…I ripped off the arm master! In my first lesson ever!" The Shinx growled._

 _"That's where you go wrong. The art of Kiba Moretsuna is the art of finesse, of subtlety. Relate it to the art that a Smeargle makes."_

 _"This is battle! Not a painting!"_

 _"Yes, but let me explain. The art is not of brute force, like Bokushingu. It isn't about wounding the weak spots or murder, like Tsume Ikusei. Kiba Moretsuna is subtle. You have to be fast, and you have to turn a brutal and up-front weapon like fangs into a weapon of speed and slashing. It's like transforming a blank canvas to a beautiful landscape, and by the time I'm done with you you'll be a masterful work."_

 _"I think I see…you're saying that Kiba Moretsuna isn't about biting, but speed and slashing."_

 _"It is about more than that, but your simple understanding will do for now. I can't hope a simple child to understand…" The Master smiled at the ground, closing his deep blue eyes._

 _"I'm not just a child! I'm a prince! My father could rip out your insides if he wanted to!" The Shinx's fore legs sparked with weak electric shocks._

 _"Control your temper! Your father wouldn't dare touch the Master of Kiba Moretsuna at the rage of a small brat like you!" The Shinx sulked at his words, and he continued in a softer tone. "Now come with me and you'll learn your morning ritual…you must do this every morning, no matter what. Come outside of the dojo and we'll begin your first lesson…"_

* * *

The newly-evolved Luxray awoke to find a green shape looming over him. He stood up abruptly only to hit his head on a tree branch that seemed much higher when he collapsed as a Luxio. He felt uncomfortable in his own skin, his body seemed far too big. He sat and hunched, rubbing his head, only to see a Politoed that seemed far below him.

"Who are you?" He growled, rising to his paws, "One of the so-called _king's_ goons? I'll fight you…oh…" The Luxray trailed off as a flood of dizziness flood through him. The pain came next, and his limbs shook, barely able to hold him up. His back felt like it was on fire.

"You're very hurt…just rest…" The Politoed said gently, her feminine voice soothing and calm. He locked gazes with her, her eyes beginning to glow. The world around John distorted and his vision faded. He tried to stay awake, but he collapsed to his side from a mixture of the psychic waves and his own exhaustion. The Politoed stood over him as his world faded.

She examined her new-found patient, scrutinizing his body.

 _He seems to have severe exhaustion, and a nasty burn on his back…caused by a Fire Fang, perhaps? That cut…so precise and clean…I've seen this mark before. It's a Kiba Moretsuna move._

She scrutinized the rest of his body, examining it in small sections until her gaze finally traveled down to his hind legs.

Her eyes widened.

* * *

 _"Morning rituals?" The Shinx's eyebrow rose in suspicion. The Arcanine simply turned into the forest and strolled among the luscious greenery._

 _A flock of Swanna flew overhead, and the bushes rustled as a Rattata ran into the open. The rat stopped and stared in shock at the two predators before dashing away at top speed. The air smelled fresh and sharp with chill, the morning sun shining down on the Master and his pupil during their morning stroll. John grew more and more impatient._

I thought this was supposed to be a training session?

 _His master continued to walk through the forest, a faint smile on his face. He was aware of his student's scruples, but he ignored it. He had a specific location in mind and his student would have to be patient until they arrived._

 _Finally, after what seemed like hours to John, the tiger dog led them to a small clearing where the sunbeams cut through the tops of the trees and lit the dead and decomposed leaves of the forest floor. Near the edge of the clearing was a pile of dirt, created by the Arcanine a few days ago when he buried one of his kills there._

 _He approached the mound of dirt and dug at it for a few moments, and soon uncovered a full skeleton. The Shinx marveled at the sight._

 _"I've never seen something like that before…" John said. "All of our meat comes already prepared."_

 _"Examine it as much as you like." The Arcanine said, stepping back as his wide-eyed pupil stepped forward. The Shinx scrutinized the bones, which were dirty with some bits of flesh still clinging to it. The bones were thick and hard._

 _Then the Shinx caught sight of the skull…or rather…skulls._

 _"What!? Two skulls?" The small cat backed away._

 _"It's a Morowak corpse. The bones are perfect for the morning ritual. Marowak always have an extra skull helmet, either a foe that they've killed or the bone of their grandparents, or their parents in rare cases. Their bones are very sturdy. Here." The Arcanine ripped a thick rib off the cadaver and gave it to his student._

 _"This is what you must do. Every morning I want you to gnaw that bone until you achieve inner peace."_

 _"Inner…peace?" John frowned. The idea was foreign to him. The Master nodded._

 _"As you gnaw this bone, focus on what you are doing. Do not let emotions cloud you, or other frivolous thoughts. Don't let your mind wander. You must focus absolutely on every movement your teeth make, and once your brain is completely clear you may stop. If I ever find that you take shortcuts, or lie about finding true emptiness of the soul, then I will immediately drop you as a student, no matter who your parents are."_

 _"So I have to sit…still. For maybe an hour. And somehow think of…nothing?" John's paws kneaded the ground. "That's…impossible."_

 _"No! This is where you need the most training! Nothing is impossible! You must live by this mindset, for by believing that something is impossible, it becomes impossible. Now come, and bring your bone. Our lesson will continue."_

* * *

His eyes flew open, and he inhaled sharply. _Weird memory to dream about…_ He thought, his mind still vivid with the images that had attacked him in his sleep. Instinctively, he searched around his bed to try and find a bone, but then he remembered. The previous day's events slammed into his mind like a charging Tauros, and his heart seemed to turn to lead. _I'm sorry Master…I cannot find my Inner Peace this morning._

The agony of his limbs had subsided, and he felt more energized than before. He sat up, slowly, and surveyed his surroundings. He found himself in a room with a fire roaring to his left. In front of him was a door barred by a wooden latch that had a little piece of rope that went through a small hole in the door to the outdoors, so that the door could be opened from the outside.

In the center of the room a table stood, surrounded by four chairs, all made of wood. The room had no decorations whatsoever. At the back of the room was another door, one that John assumed led to even more rooms. The room seemed exceedingly small and bland compared to the splendor of the castle that the lion had been raised in.

John sat on a comfy nest made of what appeared to be Mareep wool. He looked over his new form and found that all his scratches had been bandaged, and the burning cut on his back had been wrapped with cloth. The burn's pain had subsided.

 _Who…who did this?_ The electric lion wondered, settling back down into the nest. Though his fatigue had subsided, he still felt somewhat tired.

It took him a while to find a comfortable position, as he wasn't used to the size of his new body. His thoughts turned to the dead face of his Nanny, and his shoulders sagged. It didn't seem real.

 _Tiki…I failed you…I'm sorry._

 _I will avenge you! I'll avenge you and my no-good parents if it's the last thing that I do! I will raise the king's supporters, and I will resist and overthrow that tyrant Thundy!_

Rage filled the lion once more and he rose to his feet. For a brief second it seemed that his paws wouldn't hold his large body up, but then his stance became steady. He stepped off of the Mareep wool bed and started towards the door that led to more rooms.

 _I need to thank whoever saved me before I leave._

He pulled on the rope hanging from a hole in the door and pulled it open with his teeth, finding himself standing before a large hallway. The hallway led to a few rooms, one that appeared to be a storage room, a spare room, and a kitchen area with a wood-burning stove and several wooden counters and cabinets.

Just as John reached forward to open this door, a feminine voice called out to him.

"I see you're awake! But just because I saved you doesn't mean you get a free pass into my bedroom."

John's face grew hot and he let go of the rope, turning abruptly to see the same green figure that was standing over him in the forest. She had a light green back, but her stomach, hands, feet, and throat were all tan. The tan on her stomach was interrupted by a light green swirl. At the edges of her mouth were two forest green spots, and on top of her head was a tightly curled forest green hair-like appendage. A basket filled with an assortment of herbs and berries hung on one of her arms.

"I-I didn't know this was your bedroom." John stammered. The Politoed laughed and placed the basket on the table.

She approached him with a keen gaze and walked in a circle around him, surveying his body with her brown eyes.

"If you come into the main room I can put some more ointment of that burn on your back." She said. The Luxray's ears twitched as he stepped into the brightly lit room.

 _I should leave…I need to get far away from this place. I can't be too far from the castle, it's just a matter of time before soldiers find me. I have to get outta here!_

The frog-like Pokémon unwrapped the bandages around his waist and entered the hallways, ducking into the storage room. After a few minutes she emerged with a long strip of white cloth and a small, white bowl filled with a light blue paste.

She approached John and scooped some of the paste onto one of her hands.

"Brace yourself, this might sting." She muttered. She then proceeded to smear the paste onto his back.

John growled in pain and instinctively jumped away.

" _Might?_ Good god, woman!"

"If you don't let me put this Rawst Berry paste on your wound, it will never heal properly. Get over here and be a man, for the Spirit's sake." The Politoed glared at him, and he glared back with his fur standing on end and small spark crackling around his paws.

Finally he gave in and laid down in front of the Politoed. He gritted his teeth as she once more scooped some of the paste onto his back and rubbed it on the wound and its surrounding area. Then she grabbed the white cloth and wrapped it all around his back. She stepped back from the lion, looking satisfied with her work, and asked,

"How do you feel?"

"Better, still tired. But I need to leave, thank you for all of your help and everything, but I can't stay here." He approached the door.

"I wouldn't leave if I were you, young prince." She said in a warning tone. John stiffened. He prepared himself to fight if needed, then turned to face the amphibian.

"You can't order me around! How do you know me?" He snarled. The Politoed shook her head and laughed.

"You clearly just evolved…I suspected but now you prove my theory."

"What!? How could you possible know—"

"Your hind legs. You've developed the royal markings."

John gasped, having forgotten completely about his family's genes. He turned his head, and sure enough, around each of his hind ankles were yellow stripes, just like the ones on his fore legs. Those, combined with his silver eyes, branded him as a member of the royal family. Every household, every soldier, every town would instantly know him as the outcast prince, the very Pokémon that the current king wanted dead the most.

"You've turned me in, haven't you? I don't know why you'd fix me up to turn me in…but you'd have to be stupid to not turn me in. I'm leaving, and you can't stop me." John growled, lashing his tail as he turned back towards the door.

"I haven't turned you in, and don't you dare call me stupid." The Politoed said, a fierce gleam in her brown eyes. John looked down at her in surprise.

"What? Why? I can't be far from the castle…I'm sure the traitor has sent sentries out by now looking through the nearby towns for me…"

"He's sent more than sentries…just a few days ago a squad of soldiers came to our town. They informed us that the King and Queen had been killed by the Prince, and that Denkou was now under the rule of the General Thundy. They also told us that if we were to spot the traitorous Prince, that he should be turned in immediately." The Politoed explained.

"Then why haven't you turned me in? I don't understand! Unless you're lying to me and the soldiers are coming right now!" John's guard was up. The Politoed didn't seem to be lying about not summoning the guards, but he couldn't trust anyone right now.

"Shut up and listen! Everyone knew instantly that the soldiers were lying, especially when they _stayed._ For the past several days they've been bullying us, taking our stuff without paying for it, and they've even tried to rape a few Pokémon in the town…whenever anybody stands up to them they're thrown in a portable prison with no food or water. They've been making life miserable for us and…I'm afraid that this is the beginning. And I…I still believe in the royal family…they've managed to keep our land away from chaos for hundreds of years. And I don't think that any king that's trying to frame a prince is a king worth having. So I haven't turned you in."

Speechless, John scrutinized the floor for a few moments. Emotions roiled through him, primarily anger, but also sorrow and disbelief at how much Thundy had already hurt the citizens of Denkou. Then a though struck him like lightning.

"Wait…they've been at this for _several_ days!? How the hell did I sleep that long!?" John scrambled to his feet with the inescapable urge that he should leave as soon as possible and start gaining followers.

"Relax, relax. The soldiers came here about five days ago and you've been with me for three. So I assume you were lying there for about two days."

" _Shit!_ I gotta get going! Won't the soldiers come here eventually anyway? We're in danger here as long as I'm here…I'd better go!" John turned. He was just about to open the door and leave when he found himself hovering a few inches above the ground, completely unable to move.

"Relax! I've got you in my psychic field. I've already helped you this much, Prince John, I'm not going to just let you run out of here without even thanking me. Now calm the hell down!" She levitated John back over to his Mareep-wool bed and set him gently down. The Luxray's instincts rebelled at such treatment, and it took extreme willpower to prevent himself from snapping off the Politoed's head.

 _Ugh! I must kill Thundy!_ John thought.

"Now that you're awake, you can finally get some food in you. I know you prefer meat, but you'll have to do with some berry stew for now…so stay here! And don't you _dare_ move!" The Politoed waggled a finger at him like a mother scolding her child.

"Wait! What's your name?" John asked, realizing that he never asked.

"Ame!" The frog yelled as she went into one of the rooms breaking off from the hallway.

John considered his options.

 _I could just leave…and instantly be captured by the soldiers in this town. And besides…despite sleep for five days I'm somehow_ still _tired, and very hungry. Even if I do have to eat plants. I guess I have to rely on Ame…ugh._

So he waited. After about a half an hour, Ame appeared, holding a large bowl with her psychic. She dropped the bowl at his feet and sat in a chair at the table in the room.

"I am a prince, and I will sit at the table!" John hissed. The Politoed rolled her eyes and sighed. Her eyes glowed pink and a razor thin beam of energy shot at John's soup bowl, covering it with pink energy. The bowl floated through the air and was gently sit at a place on the table.

John rose from his bed and walked over to the table with his nose pointed in the air and his tail curved over his back, in perfect imitation of how his parents always insisted a prince should look. He pulled out the rather small chair and climbed up onto it, towering over the table.

"Very majestic. Now eat. I always make this broth for my patients, and it's packed with vital nutrients."

"Patients?"

"Yeah. I'm the town healer."

"Why am I your only patient? And why haven't the soldiers come here?"

"I don't run the healing station from my house. The healing center in the middle of town, and my protégé is running it right now. The soldiers searched my house _very_ thoroughly the morning before I brought you here, so their curiosity has been sated."

The explanation satisfied John, and he bent his maned head and lapped at the soup. It tasted much better than he expected, though it wasn't on par with the food he received at the castle. The instant the first mouthful reached his stomach he found himself to be famished, and he quickly became very un-prince like and he shoved his face in the bowl, devouring it in minutes.

"More?" he begged. The Politoed gave him an amused glance, and nodded, grabbing the bowl and returned to her kitchen area to fill it with the broth once more.

John ate six entire bowls of soup before he finally couldn't eat another drop. Ame had only eaten her one bowl.

"Thanks, Amy." The Luxray sighed, feeling energized and refreshed.

"It's Ame, _AH-may_. If you're going to thank me do it properly." The Politoed said.

The lion felt a surge of frustration, but he bit his tongue and ignored the Politoed.

"Hey! I probably saved your skin." She reminded him with a sharp glare.

"…Thanks, _Ame._ Where am I, anyhow?" John relented.

"You're in Forest Town, about twenty miles south of the castle."

"Wait a second…I ran for _twenty miles?"_ John's mouth fell. The time frame between running from the castle-fleeing like a coward from the very Pokémon that killed Tiki-and collapsing on the forest floor was hazy, but it didn't seem like he'd run _that_ far.

"Technically more like nineteen, and I carried you with psychic for a mile."

John rolled his eyes at Ame and leapt down from the chair. He stared into the dying embers of the fire and felt it warm the black fur on his chest. A thought was bubbling in his mind; a beginning. A beginning from which to start his journey, to begin his quest of overthrowing the tyrant on the throne.

 _That son of a bitch…I'll cut off his head and shove it up his asshole! He killed…he killed…_

For the first time, tears sprang to the young Luxray's eyes. He realized he would never see Tiki, or his parents, again. They were gone forever.

For some reason everything had seemed almost dream-like until now, but the cold harsh reality seemed to slap him in the face now. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he realized, _I'm alone, I'm alone now. The one Pokémon I loved and who loved me back is dead. Master is gone. Even my parents are dead._

 _But I will avenge them. And I can start with this town._

Ame noticed the lion's tears but kept quiet. She felt deep compassion for the young prince, and thought he deserved to keep his tears to himself.

"Ame…are there any Pokémon in this town who are willing to fight?" John said, still facing away from her. He casually moved a paw across his nose to wipe away his tears.

"You must miss your parents." Ame murmured.

"I'm not a child!" John said. He turned to face her with dry eyes, ignoring her implied question. He sighed, "Just answer my question…please."

"There is a dojo that teaches Chikara Suuchuu just outside of town, and so yes. Every Pokémon in town has at least basic knowledge of those fighting techniques, and there's a few other Pokémon that journeyed here just to study Chikara Suuchuu that already know other techniques. But…you can't possibly be thinking about…"

"Yes. We can do it. We can overthrow the soldiers…and maybe I can convince a few Pokémon to join me. I will set up a Resistance to overthrow the tyrant…but I need Pokémon-power. One small victory here can both make my presence known and gain more followers to my cause…besides, this town should be free of the soldiers razing it. Are you in?" John smirked at the Politoed, who sat in her chair and looked down at her empty soup bowl, lost in thought. Finally she nodded.

"Not only am I in, I'll fight with you."

"You? Did you train for a while at the dojo too?" John said doubtfully, surveying the frog Pokémon. She was over a foot shorter than him and didn't appear too muscular or strong. Besides, she said that she was a _healer._

"I trained there for more than a while…you see…I'm a Master at Chikara Suuchuu." She smiled at him slyly as he stared at her in shock.

 _This_ frog _did what even I haven't been able to achieve?!_

"Can _you_ fight? You are, after all, royalty." Ame said.

"I'm basically a Master at Kiba Moretsuna." John admitted, anger rising up in his throat as he thought of his Master's rejection.

"Were you about to take the test when the traitor struck?" Ame pressed.

"It doesn't matter! Now let's go and gather some townspeople!" John huffed, turning towards the door.

"Wait a second, John. You can't walk out there, flashing your hind legs and silver eyes. The soldiers will arrest you immediately."

"What do you suggest I do?" John asked.

"Well…first I'll have to make some dye. We can stain those yellow rings to match the rest of your fur. Then I'll get you a cloak of some sort…we should try hiding the fact that you're a Luxray at all. I mean, come on, a Luxio disappears from the castle and a Luxray appears twenty miles away in a town he's never been seen in before? Too big of a coincidence."

"Well hurry up! We gotta go!" John said, kneading the ground with his claws.

"Also its night, everyone's probably sleeping. Even if they aren't, they won't want to see anyone." Ame commented dryly.

"Shit!"

* * *

 **NOTE:**

 **Chapter Two complete! Thanks for reading! Now we learn that King Thundy has already begin to abuse his power…and that John is determined to stop him. And maybe he can free the town…with help from Ame.**

 **Also, I will be updating far less frequently as school has started once more...sorry. But here's another chapter to tide you over...and I do have one more chapter mostly complete.**

 **Thanks to _Kecleon352_ for favoriting, following, and reviewing!**

 **Thanks to _Roserade1_ for favoriting, following, and reviewing!**

 **Thanks to _W.R. Winters_ for reviewing!**

 **Thanks to _snowwolf12132_ for reviewing!**

 **If I forgot anyone, thanks to you! My reviews are unfortunately all backed up, but I'm pretty sure the entire site is experiencing it or not just me, so I might have missed a reviewer…if I did, sorry!**

 **Also Kecleon352's point about Thundy's name being bland is true…but my thought-process behind the name wasn't…**

 **Fun Fact:** **Thundy's name is a play on the words Thunder and Bundy. Ted Bundy was a serial killer that operated in the 70's, look him up. (I may or may not incorporate some Bundy quotes into the story…he said some creepy/awesome shit.)**

 ** _The More You Know…_**


	4. Three: The Town Square

**_The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising_**

 **Three: The Town Square**

John awoke and stretched, feeling fully refreshed. His back didn't hurt at all, and all the soreness of his limbs had faded. Once more he looked around his bed, searching for the familiar sight of a bone, but once more he remembered that his bone was back in the castle.

It felt so foreign to him to forgo his morning routine after doing it for so many years.

The air was frigid this morning, and the fire seemed to have died out overnight. John stared at the dead coals and wondered how to even go about making another fire. There was a small pile of logs to the right of the fireplace, so John grabbed a few of them and placed them in the empty fire place. Then he concentrated, and opened his mouth to reveal a powerful Fire Fang. He exhaled sharply, projecting some of the flames onto the logs.

For a brief moment they caught fire, but the flames quickly died out. Puzzled, John tried his improvised move once more, but the logs still didn't catch.

"It has no air."

John turned to find Ame standing behind him with an amused smile on her face.

"I can get a fire going. Just stay here, _Your Majesty."_ She walked to the door, lifted the latch, and went outside. John scowled and grumbled to himself. Then he had an idea, and walking to the log pile, he searched through the various logs until his found one that was thinner than the others. Carrying it in his mouth, he went back to his Mareep-wool bed and laid down.

He shut his eyes and balanced the wood between his paws, then began to work his teeth against the wood.

The slab of bark didn't match up to a normal bone; it was much softer and more uncomfortable in his mouth. But the Luxray ignored his discomfort and focused on the subtle movements of his teeth against the bark, ignoring all thoughts or emotions that rebelled against his Inner Peace.

Ame walked back in rather loudly, interrupting the Luxray's concentration. He ignored his frustration and continued his work. It took him a long time to finally achieve true emptiness of mind and spirit, but he finally did after close to half an hour. He opened his eyes and looked down at the wood. His teeth had carved the top into oblivion.

He was surprised to find a fire roaring in the fireplace and Ame staring at him from the table. His ears flattening briefly in embarrassment, John tossed the log into the fire and sat in a chair across from the Politoed.

"Morning ritual?" Ame said nonchalantly, munching on a berry and passing a plate of berries to John. The electric lion nodded and chomped down on a Sitrus Berry, enjoying the burst of energy and the well-rounded flavor.

The two finished off the berries in silence.

Finally Ame hopped off of her chair and stretched. She turned to the Luxray and said,

"You stay here while I go make some dye. We'll leave as soon as we cover up those markings of yours." The Politoed went into the back hallway, leaving John to stare at the flames of the fire. The house had warmed under the fire's heat.

John stepped off of his chair and paced as he waited for the Politoed to return. Incoherent thoughts flooded through his mind, but his main thought aimed in the direction of the town.

He'd only been outside of the castle a few times, and those times were only for parades through the larger cities in the kingdom, never in a small place like Forest Town. He had no idea what do or how to act; he was completely reliant on the kind-hearted Politoed. He hated that.

Ame returned holding a several bowls with her psychic. She set them on the ground before John and squinted at his fur.

She mixed some blue and green dye in an empty cup, then held the bowl up to the Luxray's leg. She mixed in a little more blue, then a dash of yellow. She held the bowl up to his leg again and added a dash more blue. Once more she compared her mixture to the lion's electric blue fur, then nodded in satisfaction.

She grabbed a cloth and dipped it in the bowl, then proceeded to cover the yellow stripes on John's hind legs with the dye, rubbing it in with systematic, circular strokes one section at a time. When she was done, the yellow rings were no longer visible, and the fur only looked off-color if Ame looked extremely close. Satisfied, she once more picked up the bowls in her psychic and left the room.

The Politoed returned a minute later with a large black cloak, which she threw over John's back, covering his entire body except his tail with the long black fabric that trailed on the ground a bit. She then positioned a hood to cover his mane and head, pulling it low over his face so the only thing visible was his gleaming eyes.

"That will have to do." She sighed. "Keep your tail down."

"Fine. Can we go now?" John hissed. Ame nodded, and the pair opened the door and left the warm house, emerging out into the frigid morning air.

A small dirt path disappeared into the horizon. The dirt was soft and moist, due to a small amount of rain that had fallen in the darkest hours of the night. The overcast sky threatened more rain, though currently none fell. Dragging his royal star-tipped tail in the dirt, John walked the path behind Ame.

After several minutes, buildings appeared in the distance. Swallowing a mouthful of regal spit, John bowed his head low.

"Come behind here!" Ame whispered, ducking into the shadows of a building to their right as they were about to enter the town. The Luxray complied.

"What is it?" He asked in a low tone.

"I can't be seen leading a mysterious cloaked Pokémon into the town…as a matter of fact…maybe the hood is a bad idea. It draws too much attention to you…here." Ame stepped forward and pulled back the hood, revealing John's previously hidden black and blue face.

"But they'll know I'm a Luxray…"

"It doesn't matter. Lots of Luxray live in this kingdom, and your royal markings are hidden by the dye and the cloak."

"I suppose…but if I get captured and executed, I swear…" John trailed off, unable to think of a suitable threat.

"Trust me, you won't. I'll go out first around this side, you stay to the shadows and sneak around a bit. Survey they town. Then enter from the other side of the town, I'll meet you at the healing center." Ame instructed. John's tail thrashed at being ordered around, but he found her plan suitable.

"Where is that?" He asked.

"It's the biggest building; smack-dab in the middle of town. It doubles as an inn. You can't miss it." Ame answered. She turned and exited the safety of the shadows, leaving the estranged prince to himself.

John peered around the corner of the house and found the street deserted. He crept in between the shelter of the house he was hiding behind and the house next to it, looking both ways. No Pokémon were coming. With a dash he crossed the road, entering the shadows of the alley between the two houses across the way.

Just as he reached the safety of the darkness, the door of the house he had just hidden behind opened to reveal a white, angel-like Pokémon with a round abdomen spotted with blue and orange triangle markings. The Togetic waved goodbye to an unseen Pokémon in the house and began to fly down the path, oblivious to the predator lurking in the alley.

John instinctively crouched as she passed, but she hummed a little tune and didn't even glance his way.

He waited in this position for several minutes, then slowly relaxed when he realized that she wasn't returning. Walking back behind another house, the Luxray proceeded to walk between the backs of the houses and the forest, keeping his eye on the road when he walked between the gaps of the house walls.

He spotted a few more Pokémon walking along, but he always hid behind a house when he spotted them. None of them appeared to be soldiers.

After close to ten minutes, he reached the main square of the town. The main square was an intersection of four roads, and the buildings lining the streets changed from homes to shops. In the center of the intersection was a circle blocked off by hedges, and in the center of the hedge circle was a marble fountain depicting the legendary Pokémon Celebi.

The Celebi sat on a pedestal shaped like a tree stump and looked towards the sky with wide eyes. Unlike all depictions of Celebi John had seen, this Celebi looked stone serious, rather than happy or energetic. The water spewing from the cowlick on her head ran down her body and her face, and she almost looked like she was crying.

The image of the crying fairy fountain burned itself in John's mind for reasons he couldn't, and never would, be able to explain.

The Luxray shook his head to clear his mind and ducked into the bushes. The square was semi busy, with a few shops open and some Pokémon meandering around. The healing center was, indeed, impossible to miss, being a large building at the intersection of two of the roads.

John looked down the road that he was next two, and seeing no-one he jumped into the middle of the street. He walked casually into the main square, keeping his tail low and his pace slow.

The electric lion stopped before the statue of the Celebi and stared at her crying face for a while, lost in thought. _She looks lost…_ John thought. _She looks how I feel._

Suddenly a heavy force slammed down on John back, pinning him to the ground with a startled hiss. Instinctively, electricity course along his fur to zap the invader of his personal space, but lucky for both John and his assailant, the Mareep-wool cloak prevented the electricity from reaching its target.

John moved his head to find a huge red Pokémon with gigantic pincers standing over him. The pressure on John's back was caused by one of the Pokémon's red feet, which prevented the Luxray from rising.

"A Luxray? I haven't seen a Luxray in this town before." The Scizor said in a gruff voice, a nasty smirk plastered on his face. He leaned his crimson head down to John's face.

"I was just passing through. If you would let me up, you fat-ass, I'll hang out a bit and then be on my way." John growled. This bug had already managed to piss him off.

"I don't like your attitude! I am a soldier in the king's army…the new king, King Thundy." The Scizor lowered his voice to a whisper, "Did you know…that the Pokémon that Thundy wants to see most…is the traitorous prince?"

"I heard something like that."

"Then I assume you also know that the prince is a Luxray? Unless you're as stupid as you look?"

"You're the stupid one, you bastard. You think I'm the prince? Then why—"

The Scizor grabbed John's mouth with his pincer and held it closed. "I _really_ don't like your attitude. Maybe I should lock you up for the night? Would that teach you some manners? Anyway…I might have the treacherous prince in my pincers! There's one way to know for sure."

The bug let go of John's muzzle and stepped off of his back. Then the Scizor ripped off John's cloak. His yellow eyes flickered to John's hind legs. The bug gritted his teeth in frustration and threw the cloak at the Luxray's face as he rose back to his paws.

"Dammit. I was hoping an arrogant little bastard like you would be the prince. You're lucky that you don't have yellow rings around your ankles…or you would be _mine._ Get the hell out of my sight." The Scizor waved a pincer at John as he turned, and proceeded to go down the same road he had come from.

John sighed in relief. He grabbed the cloak in his jaws and walked to the healing center, coming up with an excuse for being there as he entered the double doors.

The first room appeared to be a lobby, with chairs lining the walls and a desk at the back of the room. The desk was painted orange and there was a map and a few paintings on the walls, but other than that the room was plain wood. There were two doors, one to the left of the room and one to the right.

Behind the desk sat a Swanna flipping through the pages of a book laid flat on the counter.

John set the cloak on one of the chairs and approach the front desk. He cleared his throat, waiting for the Swanna to notice him, but the swan kept staring down at her book, completely enraptured by its pages. The Luxray rolled his gleaming eyes and cleared his throat once more, louder. The Swanna continued to be oblivious to his presence. Finally John said,

"Excuse me, can I please have some service?"

The bird looked up from her book, her blue eyes wide. With an embarrassed chuckle she slammed the book shut and shoved it to the side. The book slid off the table, landing on the floor with a loud noise that made the swan jump. She chuckled again in embarrassment and then, finally, began to pay attention to John.

"Um, hi…I'm Anna. How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Ame, where can I find her?"

"Do you have an appointment?" The Swanna said as she pulled out a spiral-bound book with lists of names and dates listed on every page. She flipped to the present date and looked down the list.

"No, but she'll want to see me. Just tell her that a Luxray is here to see her."

"Well, okay." The Swanna flapped over the desk and went through the door on the right.

John sat where he was and sighed.

After a few minutes the Swanna returned, leading Ame. The Politoed plastered a polite smile on her face and said,

"Why it's the Luxray that I helped yesterday! Come in and I'll check that cut of yours."

John blinked in surprise, but then realized that she couldn't very well say that she'd taken care of him for the past three days. He glanced briefly at the bandage that was still wrapped around the fire fang's marks on his back, then stood up and proceeded through the door. Ame said something to Anna then followed John, shutting the door behind them.

The door led to a hallway with many doors. Ame led him to the one on the farthest left, which was a room labelled with the Politoed's name. John entered to find a nice room with a desk near the back and bookshelves on the walls. This room, unlike the previous ones he'd seen, had a blue rug on the floor, much like the rugs at the castle.

Ame walked over to her desk and took a seat in the chair behind it. John sat in front of the desk.

The two stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence, then John finally broke the ice.

"So…how do we start gathering Pokémon?"

"We start with those I know are loyal to the old order."

"And…who are these Pokémon?"

Before Ame could answer, the door to the office opened to reveal the same Togetic John had seen that morning hovering in the doorway. She flew in, looking at a piece of paper and saying,

"Healer, Grace has recovered fully, so I discharged her. I hope that was okay." The Pokémon looked up and started in surprise when she saw John staring at her.

"Ohmygosh I'm so, so sorry! I didn't realize that you were seeing a patient! I'll leave now." The angel-like Pokémon turned to leave.

"Wait, Tenshi." Ame said. Tenshi halted in her flight and turned slowly, looking frightened.

"Am I…am I in trouble? I said I was sorry! I didn't mean it I promise! Please don't fire me!" She begged, halting her flight to prostrate herself before the Politoed's desk.

John looked from Ame to the hysterical Togetic in silent shock. _Does she always act like this?!_

"You aren't in trouble, Tenshi. I just want to talk about something."

"Wh-what?"

"Are you loyal to the old kingdom?"

"Me!? Of course!? You know that! The soldiers have completely ruined the happiness of this town." A deadly seriously look came over the Togetic's face; a complete change from her earlier hysteria. "I _hate_ the new tyrant."

"What if I told you…that I was going to rebel against the soldiers and free our town?" Ame leaned forward with her elbows on her desk and her hands clasped together. She sounded very business-like throughout this entire exchange, completely unfazed by the Togetic's violent mood swings.

"Then I would want to help…is that why the Luxray is here?"

"That's Prince John to you." The electric lion smirked at her look of utter disbelief. Her gaze automatically traveled down to his hind legs.

"But…but…the royal markings…"

"We hid them with dye. If we hadn't, he'd be on his way to the castle bye now and any hope of regaining the old kingdom would be lost. The decision is up to you, Tenshi. You can ring the alarm and have him turned in, or you can help us free this town of the "king's" tyranny. Your choice." Ame leaned back in her chair and gazed at the angelic Pokémon intently. Tenshi looked down, her eyes clouded as she though.

"Yes. I will help you."

"Thank you. Do you know any other Pokémon that would help us?" Ame asked. Tenshi nodded.

"My parents would love to help. My dad knows a lot about fighting, he was in the army for a while after all."

John nodded. "Let's go to them, then."

"John and I will go, you stay here and take care of the patients, Tenshi." Ame affirmed, hopping down from her chair and following the Luxray out the door.

"Okay…good luck!" Tenshi waved at the duo's backs.

John exited the hallway and strolled through the main lobby, nodding at Anna as he passed her even though she was beak-deep in her book.

"Your cloak is on that chair. A guard ripped it off to check my hind legs and I didn't put it back on." The Luxray flicked to the chair with his star-shaped tail. Ame just shrugged.

"I don't care. I never use it, anyway…just leave it." She pushed past John and shoved open the wooden doors.

The duo arrived to a huge commotion in the main square. The multitude of Pokémon surrounded a small area, blocking it from the sight of John and Ame. The two looked at each other in utter confusion even as a roll of laughter erupted from the gathered Pokémon. John shoved past a bunch of Pokémon, struggling to get a better look at the object of the crowd's fascination.

In the middle of the large group stood the same Scizor as before, glaring at…himself?

"What the hell's going on here?" John growled, staring at the two Scizor. He could see absolutely no difference between the two.

Suddenly everything grew hazy, and for a moment John's eyes latched onto one of the Scizor. As if he was staring through a thin curtain, another Pokémon appeared to overlap with the image of the Scizor. This Pokémon appeared to be a Zoroark, but he was stark white with pink eyes. Even more notable that his strange colored fur, however, was his expression. John couldn't decide if he was smiling or smirking, but the look filled his entire face.

Then the "veil" faded and John saw two Scizor once more. _What the hell…? Did I just use my X-Ray vision for the first time? That was a headache…_

"Listen, bastard. If you don't shut the fuck up and stop imitating me, I'm going to throw you in jail for a week!" The real Scizor growled placing his pincer inches away from the Zoroark's illusion. The vision of the Scizor smiled and waved a pincer at the real Scizor.

" _Listen, bastard!_ If you _don't_ shut the _fuck_ up and STOP IMITATING ME, I'm gonna throw youse in jail… _FOR A WEEK!"_ The illusion said in an accurate, if sarcastically higher pitched, version of the real Scizor's voice.

"Goddammit!" The real Scizor cursed as another wave of laughter echoed through the town.

John smirked. _I like this guy…he's pretty hilarious._

The Scizor's arm reared back, glowing white, then jabbed forward faster than the eye could follow, striking the Zoroark across the face. The white Pokémon flew back into the hedges, his illusion fading as he hit the shrubbery.

The illusion Pokémon stood, crouching as if he was about to fight back, and the Scizor reared back his arm again. Then Ame took a huge leap and stood in between the two, glaring at both of them in turn. She waggled a finger at the Zoroark and said,

"How dare you escape!?" She looked back at the Scizor and shrugged, "Sorry. He's suffered brain damage…he shouldn't be out yet."

The soldier scowled down at her, then at the Zoroark, then back at Ame. Finally he dropped his pincer.

"If I ever see this bastard in the town again, I will kill him. Understand, healer?" The Scizor turned and shoved his way through the crowd without bothering to wait for Ame's response. The Politoed turned, to see herself.

"How _dare_ you escape!?" The copy said. Ame sighed, scowled, then leapt in the air and roundhouse kicked the illusion to the face. Once more the Zoroark stumbled back into the shrubbery.

The crowd roared with laughter, but Ame fixed them all with a glare that would melt steel. The gathered Pokémon instantly fell silent and began to disperse. John walked over to the Zoroark and Ame, still chuckling slightly.

"Good show! What's your name?" The Luxray asked the Zoroark. The fox-like Pokémon smiled and said,

"People call me Vex. You?"

"I'm Jo—" Ame elbowed his side. _Oh, right…I have to come up with a new name…I can't go by my old name anymore._ The Luxray quickly scanned around and then said, "Kiba. I'm Kiba."

Vex didn't seem to take any notice of John/Kiba's slight hesitation, instead he just laughed.

"Kiba? Like Kiba _Moretsuna?"_ Suddenly John stared at a carbon copy of himself. "Whassup, yo? I'm Kiba! Just don't start slashing me with your fangs!" The Zoroark's voice was a perfect imitation of John's gruff monotone. The Luxray had no words to describe his annoyance at the albino fox.

 _Never mind. I don't like this guy._

"Shut up." John ordered.

" _Shut up!"_ The copy yelled.

"Listen bub, if you don't stop—"

"Listen bub, if you _don't_ stop—"

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

" _Shut up_ or I'll _kill_ you!"

With a roar, John leapt towards the Zoroark with his fangs crackling. Just as he was about to make contact, the Zoroark turned his body slightly and John went soaring past him. John turned and leaped again, but the white fox gracefully spun out of his way. The illusion faded and Vex's eyes glowed white, and his mouth sparked with electricity, a broad smile still on his face. He grabbed John's hind leg with his teeth and the Luxray felt the electricity of his own move fly through him.

"Augh!" John cried. He lashed out at the Zoroark with his other hind leg and felt his foot make contact with the albino fox's face. He then shook his hind leg out of his opponent's grip and turned to face him once again.

"Stop! Both of you!" Ame shrieked, the two instantly stopped and turned towards her.

 _It's a smirk. Definitely._ John thought as he glanced at Vex through the corners of his silver eyes. The fox still had the audacity to grin.

" _Kiba,_ leave the Pokémon alone. We still have to visit Tenshi's parents, _remember?_ As for _you…"_ She turned to Vex, " _You_ may be on your way. Don't get into trouble again!"

The Zoroark smiled at Ame, sneered at John, then turned and strolled away casually. Sparks flew off of John's fore and hind legs.

"John, let's go. Give it a rest." Ame sighed. She began to walk down the path that Tenshi's parents lived down, leaving the Luxray to watch the Zoroark walk away, _still_ smiling.

Finally John took a deep breath and followed Ame, his star-tipped tail lashing violently.

Meanwhile, golden eyes glinted from the shadows that John had hidden in just an hour earlier, also watching the Zoroark walk.

* * *

 **NOTE:**

 **Aha! An OC has been introduced! Vex the albino Zoroark, curtesy of _W. R. Winters!_**

 **But who is after the new, rather annoying, character?**

 **Stay tuned! (Maybe I'm watching too much of the anime…)**

 **I honestly wasn't going to post this chapter today...I usually wait until I have another chapter finished to post a chapter. But I just said, "What the hell?" and posted this anyway. :p**

 **Thanks to _Emporor Blaze_ for faving, following, and reviewing!**

 **Thanks to _W.R. Winters, Kecleon352,_ and _Awsome Matt Man_ for reviewing again!**

 **You guys really mean so much to me 3 and getting PMs/Reviews brightens my day.**

 **Any of you catch the meme reference? Or the X-Men reference?**

 **(I don't own X-Men or memes…)**


	5. Four: Decisions Made

**_The Chaos Chronicles: Uprising_**

 **Four: Decisions Made**

John padded after Ame with his soft paws digging into the dirt. He brushed past countless faces that blended together in his mind as he thought about his current state. His life was over. Now began a new existence; a new era that he held in his paws. He alone controlled his future now. Not his parents, not his Master, not even Tiki. For the first time in his life he had total control over his life. And he wanted to use that control to do some good in this world. A fire of determination burned in his heart, a determination that was self-induced and self-sustained. No matter what happened he knew he would never stop until he achieved his goal and overthrew the tyrant on the throne. He had no idea how he was going to do it; he had no idea what to do or where to go after beating the soldiers in this small, defenseless town; the very idea of being a leader terrified him more that he could admit. But he could, and would do it. His determination fueled him.

Then he found himself flat on the ground. A Gabite with an ugly sneer on his draconian face whipped around and glared at him as he pushed himself off of the ground and growled,

"Watch where you're going, civilian filth, or I'll throw you in jail until you rot!"

Unbridled rage fueled the Luxray at the utter brashness of this soldier, " _you_ watch where _you're_ going or I'll slice your throat to ribbons."

The Gabite's mouth opened in indignation. The dragon's arm flew forward and his ivory claw smacked John across the jaw before the lion could twitch. He stumbled to the side and paused for a moment, blood trickling down a cut lip. His pale gaze locked onto the Gabite's dull yellow eyes and his pupils shrunk in anger. Before the lion could react, Ame stepped between the two creatures that glared at each other with utter enmity.

"Stop, both of you," she turned to the Gabite and a polite smile spread on her face. She bowed slightly. "I apologize for my patient here, he's recovering from a slight concussion. He's having a hard time controlling his impulses at the moment. I'm sure you don't want to throw a mentally damaged patient in your prison, do you?"

The Gabite mused for a moment, then finally his arms dropped to his side and he shook his head from side to side sharply.

"Keep an eye on this S.O.B. and don't let it happen again, or I will lock him up no matter how fried his pathetic brain is," he said before whipping around and stomping off, bumping into a small crowd that had gathered on his way. The crowd hurried to return to their business as soon as he left, avoiding all eye contact with either John or Ame.

John inhaled sharply, then spat a mouthful of blood and spit onto the dirt road, "damn these soldiers. Wandering around like they own the damn place," he grumbled.

Ame tapped his shoulder lightly and murmured, "give it a rest. You're going to draw attention to yourself if you keep giving in to your temper like this. This is the second time you've gotten into a fight, and you've only been in town for one day!"

John ignored her and started back down the pavement, "this way, right?"

* * *

A large black bird with huge, fierce-looking talons and a streak of red feathers on his face circled an angelic white creature with large feathery wings and petite feet. The clash of brawn and elegance was a sight to see in its own right, but the two also exchanged fierce, well-placed attacks at each other.

The Togekiss charged an orb of swirling blue energy on her wing as she elegantly twirled too avoid the Staraptor's furious talons that struck at her glowing with orange energy. She spun and flung a small blue orb at him, curiously smaller than it should have been. The orb seared the Staraptor in the back and the large bird grimaced in pain before heading into a steep nosedive to the ground.

"Sor!" the Togekiss cried in fright as she flew down towards him. Before he hit the ground, the Staraptor spread his wings and flew into the air, sky blue energy emanating from his whole body as he flew directly at the Togekiss, who halted in surprise. Before he hit her, he flapped his wings furiously and stopped a few inches away from her nose.

"Gotcha," he smirked. The Togekiss scowled at him and batted him with her fluffy wing.

John stared at the aerial display, mildly impressed by the fighting ability of these two birds. They both had their own unique fighting style and they were both very good at utilizing their own skills, yet they weren't part of the military or any other formal organization. They were just…peasants.

For a second it didn't hit John how prejudiced that thought was.

"Ame! To what do we owe the pleasure?" the Togekiss smiled politely at the Politoed as she landed daintily on the ground. Sor, however, came to a very slow, heavy landing while throwing up huge amounts of dust with his large, grey wings. The Togekiss rolled her eyes at him as he dropped to the ground, and he shrugged at her sheepishly.

"We're here to beg your help, Feza," Ame dipped her head in respect at the bird. The Togekiss dipper her head back.

"What d'ya need from us?" the Staraptor asked. His voice sounded very gruff, and John noticed a scar of bare skin showing on the bird's neck.

"This matter is very sensitive; perhaps it would be better for us to speak inside. Shall we?"

Sor peered suspiciously at John with blazing blue eyes, "and who's this?"

"He's a friend, Sor. Believe me, you can trust him. He's what I've come to talk to you about." The Staraptor grunted, then nodded and waved a wing to a small house to his right.

"C'mon, then."

The four Pokémon walked into a small sitting room with a table surrounded by perches. The Togekiss and Staraptor comfortably settled themselves onto the perches, but Ame and John were forced to stand as there appeared to be no chairs.

Ame glanced over her shoulder anxiously despite the fact that they were behind closed doors. John heard her inhale shakily, anxiety flashing across her amphibian face as she realized what she was about to say to these Pokémon.

The Luxray inhaled sharply. If Ame was too nervous to start, then he would. The risks of what he was about to admit, and the dangerous task he was about to ask these Pokémon to undertake, were high. But in the end he had made up his mind. His gaze hardened and he curled his tail over his back.

"I am Prince John, son of the king and outcast. And I want your help."

All eyes turned to him. Ame looked almost panicked, whereas Sor and Feza's faces could not have held any other emotion but pure shock. When the shock subsided, their gazes simultaneously flicked to his hind legs.

Ame caught their looks and quickly said, "I covered them up…listen…I know this is a lot to take in but we need your help. You've both seen what the soldiers have done to this town; what they've done to the citizens and how they've suppressed us and invaded our safety and privacy. The new reign of Thundy is already destroying the roots of our freedom, and this estranged Prince is our only hope at ever gaining our liberty back. It starts here. It starts with your decision to help us. So please, I am begging you as a friend, and as an ally, help us overthrow these soldiers. Help us gain our freedom back. Please."

Ame's eloquence had worked its magic. Feza looked down and away while Sor's gaze had drifted off and grown hazy, like he was focusing on something a million miles away. Finally, the Staraptor nodded sharply, as if resolving some kind of inner conflict, and said simply,

"I will help."

"Count me in as well," Feza added.

A warm surge of admiration mingled with gratitude and relief flooded through John's core, and his shoulders fell and relaxed slightly, his tail falling to the ground.

"Thank you," he said.

"How exactly d'ya plan on going about this?" Sor asked gruffly, locking eyes with John.

"We need to gather as many Pokémon as we can, then in three night's time we will attack the soldier's camp and drive them off. Fight to drive away, not to kill. Minimalize bloodshed."

"I don't agree."

"Don't agree with what?"

"Your plan. If we get the whole town involved, the soldiers will come after the whole town again, and who knows what they'll do the second time around? Just drivin' them away won't cut it. We gotta have a better strategy."

John's stomach turned. He hadn't even thought about that. If he did this, if he led the town into rebellion, there's no way it would last. He'd either be turning the entire town into fugitives or condemning them to prison, more retribution, or worse. He could be condemning them to death. And for what? So that they could be free? But what kind of freedom was it? What kind of freedom just leads to more hardship and oppression?

"What do you suggest we do?" Ame said, glancing at John.

"Minimalize the Pokémon involved. Get only a small team that's willin' to hit the road and go on the run with ya after your done, and fight ta kill, but leave some alive. Leave some alive so they can go back to that goddamn tyrant and tell 'im exactly who he needs to look for: the Prince. No, not the Prince any longer. The leader of the only group that dares stand up ta him." The Staraptor cracked his neck before continuing. "I can't fight alongside ya. But I know some Pokémon that might help…and I have a particular acquaintance that I just might be able to convince to lend his services to ya."

Feza had remained silent through all this, but once her mate was done speaking she looked at Ame in concern, "Ame…are you going to join in this fight?"

John's eyes turned to Ame. He had automatically assumed she was going to join him, come with him, and fight against the tyrant with him, but when he saw the look of confusion on her face he knew she hadn't fully considered it yet.

"I…I don't know. I'll certainly help for now, but when the final fight comes…I might hang back," she shifted uncomfortably and avoided John's gaze.

John's heart sunk.

"Well…we best be moving on," he said after a brief silence. He turned to Sor and dipped his head, "I appreciate all of your help more than I can express."

"Thank you both. So much," Ame added as the two headed out the door.

They walked back to the main town square in silence.

* * *

"So…what should our next move be?" John asked.

"I have responsibilities at the healing center," Ame said, "but if you walk along that path for a ways, eventually you'll see a narrow, rough path to your left. Follow that until you reach our Chikara Suuchuu dojo, and talk to the master there. He's a Xatu, and a rather…erratic Pokémon…but he used to work for the king. He could help us, and he would probably come with you when you run."

 _But will you come with me?_ John wondered. Already he found himself so dependent on Ame, on her intelligence and unwavering cool nature. He hadn't had anyone when he fled from the castle. But now he had Ame. He didn't want to lose her.

"Alright," he replied simply. They remained in eye contact for a while, then Ame turned and walked towards the healing center, leaving John standing in the middle of the buzz of activity as Pokémon went here and there in the square.

The Luxray's eyes slid to the crying Celebi and he gazed at her solemn stone face for a few seconds, then walked down the road Ame had pointed him towards. He strolled among the shops, and then eventually the shops faded into houses, and then finally the houses grew sparser and sparser as they transformed into a broad forest road.

As he walked, John considered what his next step would be. All he had really thought about was how he was going to complete his immediate goal: freeing this town of soldiers. He had also set the goal of eventually taking the whole kingdom back. But how would he even achieve that goal? After this town, what was next?

Before he could even begin to think about his next moves, a white arm thrust itself from the bushes and latched on to his forepaw. He halted abruptly and looked to his left, and once again he had a strange sense of double vision that overlaid two images on top of each other; on one hand he saw nothing but bushed and darkness, but on the other he spotted the distinct image of the Zoroark he'd encountered earlier.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, overcome with a sense of vertigo, then he pushed aside the bushes with his unrestrained forepaw and saw that the fox was covered in scratches and gashes, including a nasty wound running from behind his ear down to the base of his neck. The illusion Pokémon could barely lift his head.

"You should see…the other guy…" he coughed weakly before losing consciousness. His hand relaxed its grip on John's foreleg and fell to the ground.

 _Goddammit…I have to help him, don't I?_ the Luxray gritted his teeth. Yet another delay. He had to reach the dojo to meet whoever the mysterious Xatu was…but…this Zoroark would die if he didn't help him.

John sighed and shoved his way into the bushed nosing his head under Vex and easing his back under the fox's abdomen, then he stood carefully, gently adjusting the Zoroark's body on his back so that he wouldn't fall off.

"Damn, you're lighter than I would expect of such a dense Pokémon," John grumbled, easing his way out of the bushes and starting back down the road.

"I have to get you to Ame. You should be grateful I'm doing this, you sorry asshole."

He walked slowly down the road in silence for a time, then found himself talking aloud to the (hopefully) unconscious fox.

"Ame saved my life…I owe her my life. She's done more than that though…she's been my friend and helper and colleague. She even saved you from my anger…and she's gonna save you again once I get you back. I don't know how I would have done any of this without her. Because I _couldn't_ have done any of this without her. And I can't continue without her help. I need her to come with me."

Speaking aloud helped John clear his mind. He needed to convince Ame to come with him on his quest. The idea of being alone, the idea of trying to succeed at his already insane journey without her supporting and helping him was completely absurd.

He started to walk slightly faster.

He'd reached the center within half an hour, and the usual buzz of Pokémon wandering in the square parted when the saw the state of the Pokémon he carried on his back. One Pokémon even opened the door for him when he approached the healing building.

The instant he was inside he shouted "help!" in such a loud voice that the inattentive Swanna secretary instantly yelped and hustled over to the double doors on the right, opening them and squawking,

"We have an emergency! Healers to attention!"

John walked through the doors as four other Pokémon surrounded him. One of them was Ame. Two of the Pokémon, a Machop and a Timburr, carried a gurney, while Ame and Tenshi gently moved the Zoroark from John's back to the stretch of wood and blankets.

They hurried the Pokémon away to another room. John tried to catch Ame's eye, but she avoided his gaze, intently focused on her patient.

"Let the healers do their work," the Swanna said, ushering John out of the hallway and back into the lobby with her wing.

The Luxray climbed up onto one of the lobby's chairs and waited not-so-patiently for Ame to be done. And he waited. And he waited some more.

It was probably the better part of two hours before Ame finally shoved her way through the doors and approached John, who leaped down from the chairs and rushed to her as soon as he caught sight of her amphibious face. She reluctantly met his eyes and wrung her hands,

"He'll live. His wounds weren't too major, but he received pretty serious blunt force trauma to his skull. He's sleeping now, but we'll ask him who did this to him once he wakes up. But if you hadn't brought him in, he'd probably have fallen unconscious and bled to death in the forest. You saved his life." She said this all very matter-of-factly.

"Ame…I have something to ask you—"

"Not now, John. I have some more things to finish up around here. It's too late for you to go and visit my old master now…just return to my house and I'll be along in a few hours. We can talk tomorrow."

"But—"

"Please, John, I know very well what you're going to ask me, but pressuring me won't help your cause. Now _go._ "

The Luxray's tail drooped. He nodded slowly, and without another word he turned and exited the center, leaving Ame to watch after him with an unreadable gaze.

"Okay, so be sure to keep that cast on your wing for the next week at least, and don't try to fly. You're grounded until we can get that cast off." Ame nodded to her patient, a Swellow who'd tried one too many fancy aerial moves, and the bird Pokémon hopped off with a miserable grunt and a cast on her left wing.

"Ame?" Tenshi's gentle voice sounded from the doorway of the exam room. The Politoed looked up, her brown gaze softening a bit.

"What is it?"

"Go home. You look exhausted."

"I still have a few patients to see."

"I will take care of them. I've completed my training…you've said so yourself. I can take care of things here."

"Why would you have to do that? I'm still here…" Ame turned at this and grabbed a clipboard lying on a small table behind her. She started to make some notes on the paper, and for a moment the room was silent.

"Aren't you going with the prince?"

The Politoed stiffened, "I…I'm not sure. I haven't decided."

"Ame…he needs you. He's young. He has no idea how to do this—"

"He's quick-witted and brave. He'll figure it out."

"Ame…please." Tenshi flew up behind the Politoed and gently grabbed the clipboard from her hands, "go home. Rest. I got it."

A huge sigh released from the amphibian and her shoulders sagged, "alright, Tenshi. You win. I'll go home."

Ame slowly walked out of the exam room and into the lobby, exiting into the chilly night with an air of resignation.

She hopped down the nearly empty roads slowly, her body exhausted but her brain spinning with incoherent thoughts. She'd been born and raised in this town. She'd been here forever. She was a healer. Her destiny had always been to remain in this town, save lives, maybe at some point find a mate and raise a family here. But life had come and thrown her a curveball.

Her mind flashed back to when she'd first found that Luxray lying in the grass near death. And she remembered how she'd seen those royal markings on his hind legs, and she remembered how she thought that if she brought him back, she'd be persecuted, and how she'd been so, so tempted to just let the lion die.

However, her years of being a healer had prevented her from doing just that. So she brought him to her home; she nursed him back to health; and she watched the soldiers hurt and harass the very Pokémon she healed on a daily basis.

Now she had a choice to make.

Suddenly she heard a noise from up ahead. She stopped and looked around, trying to find the noise, then finally saw two indistinct figures in an alley between two houses. One of the figures had shoved the other against the wall, one of its barely discernable had clamped the other figure's mouth shut.

Ame's mouth dropped. With utter fury she sprinted at the attacker and leaped into the air, spinning around and kicking him across the face. The Pokémon was a Golduck, and his victim: a shivering blue otter that fell to the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees the instant the duck flew away from her.

The Golduck flew into a tree and fell to the ground. He stood and pressed a webbed paw to his temple. A trickle of blood dripped from it. He muttered a curse and ran into the forest before Ame could hurt him anymore.

The amphibian helped the Dewott up. The otter babbled hysterically, completely unable to form even one coherent sentence.

"He's a soldier…he grabbed me…couldn't fight…couldn't stop him…help me, help me, help me, please help me…"

Ame just wrapped her arms around the Dewott and held the shaking Pokémon close, tears coming to her own eyes.

A vague rage stabbed into the corner of her heart. Without fully realizing it, she'd made her choice.

* * *

 **NOTE:**

 **And that's that…**

 **I'm sorry I've been inactive for like…nine months now. Holy shit it does not feel like it's been that long…I'm sorry. Time has just FLOWN by these past few months, and first it was finals, then it was a bunch of drama that happened at my school, then it was MORE finals then MORE drama and then Summer was completely insane but also amazingly fun.**

 **So now I'm back, and I can't promise updates too often, but I will hopefully pump out another chapter of** ** _Genetics_** **and** ** _PMD: Hearts of Gold_** **before too long…**

 **As for this chapter, I actually had it done before my long absence, but when I came back to the chapter I realized that I hated how it was written and I thought it was written very, very poorly. Hopefully this is written a little better. I think I've improved a lot in my writing in the past few months…and hopefully it shows.**

 **Anyway, thanks to everyone who's favorited, followed, or reviewed in my absence. Because it's been so long I'm not exactly sure who's done just that, but hopefully I'll get back into specific shoutouts the next time I post a chapter.**

 **As always, feel free to submit your own OC's. I believe the form is in my author's bio. Please submit more Bokushingu Pokémon!**

 **Catch you later, and thanks for all your support!**


End file.
